Never Give Up

Chapter 28

POV: Jungkook

As Y/N started to sob, Jungkook's heart hurt. He'd heard a little of the theoretical pain she could go through from what Dr. Che had told Namjoon, but hearing it first hand... He wished they'd put forth more effort to find her sooner. She'd told them so much about her romantic life before and how it crafted her self-view. If they'd been depressed, why didn't he realize that it would just be so much worse for her? He knelt down beside her and put his head in her lap. "I'm so sorry, Y/N. We should have dropped everything to come and find you. I... I feel like I failed you."

His whispered confession seemed to stop her tears immediately. He'd known that he would develop feelings for this last soulmate, but this reunion seemed to have triggered the last piece of his heart to be placed squarely in her hands. He could feel the question in her eyes, but he couldn't explain his feelings any further. He closed his eyes to protect himself from the accusation or blame he was certain her gaze would hold for him.

What he hadn't been expecting was her soft touch against her cheek. His eyes snapped open and he froze. When she looked into his eyes, he was lost. The universe was in her green gaze, but tempered with such innocence and self-depreciation. "Kookie..." Just his name on her lips caused his heart to soar. "It isn't your fault. It was never your fault. Maybe this was just something we all had to go through."

He would have shaken his head, but that would have dislodged her hand and he needed the comfort. However, she would never convince him that she somehow "deserved" the pain she'd gone through. "If we had come here immediately..."

Y/N laughed gently and booped his nose with her finger. "Were you going to run around the greater Seattle area searching for women named Y/N? You could have put yourselves in such danger... Remember, Y/N is a very common name in America." She was rubbing at the frown lines developing between his brows. He wasn't certain if she truly understood his feelings. She shook her head. "If you're going to feel guilty about not coming sooner, should I feel guilty about taking Ahnjong's soulmates?"

He lifted his head finally, a fierce frown apparent and stood. He could feel himself towering over her, but he didn't care. She needed to understand this more than any other thing in this world right now. He grasped her face firmly within his hands. "Im Ahnjong is not and never was our soulmate!"

She smiled at him. "I'm starting to believe that, but it took me borrowing her body to start our bond. Considering what a large fan she was of you..."

Jungkook covered her mouth. "You never actually met her, Y/N. She didn't care for us. When I said I already had a soulmate, she immediately went for any of the rest of them. She didn't really care who. We didn't matter... just our performing personas and the fame..."

She stilled and her eyes echoed the pain that he'd felt. To have been subjected to that sort of callousness after her caring... It had been a real blow to them all. She held his hand and brought it down to her lap, forcing him to his knees again so they were nearly at eye level. "Exactly. Guilt won't help any of us now... In fact, it could hurt us. So if all of you can stop feeling guilty for not finding me sooner... If you can stop feeling terrible about initiating that last bond... Then I'll try not to feel any guilt toward Ahnjong. Deal?"

She held her pinkie finger out to him and she looked so adorable. His heart thumped in his chest. Jungkook knew that she wouldn't accept the label of "cute", but what he thought on the inside didn't count. He linked his pinkie with hers. "Deal." He finally grinned at her and she started to blush. "What?"

A hot blush painted her face from her ears down her neck. She looked down shyly. "Your smile should be illegal, Kookie!" That caused him to blush as well. He looked around and realized that everyone had gathered around them. The atmosphere was so positive and supportive. He couldn't help but feel blessed in so many ways.